


Sugar Lumps

by misura



Category: The Goblin Emperor - Katherine Addison
Genre: Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 09:14:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21847276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misura/pseuds/misura
Summary: Maia spends some time with his horse.
Comments: 24
Kudos: 98
Collections: Yuletide Madness 2019





	Sugar Lumps

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Arsenic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arsenic/gifts).



Maia had been hesitant at first - to spend half an hour with a friendly white horse ( _a gray,_ he corrected himself, _a white horse is called a gray_ , though why this should be so, he still did not know) did not feel very much like work or something that fitted with the rest of his responsibilities.

Still, Csevet assured him that he must, or else risk giving offense to the Great Avar, who would surely hear of it, were Maia to ignore the gift with which he had been presented.

"Of course," Csevet had said, "it may be that Your Serenity does not like horses?" He had sounded quite worried about this possibility, so Maia had felt compelled to assure him that he did not dislike horses in the slightest and would, in truth, be delighted to spend some time with Velvet.

True to his name, Velvet's skin was wondrously soft to the touch.

The look in his eyes as he regarded Maia seemed patient, kind and gentle. Maia felt he might tell Velvet anything he pleased, and Velvet would continue looking at him as he did - _and why should he not, when he will not understand a word thou speakest, thou moon-wit?_ he thought to himself, reassured to hear his thoughts sounded like his own, no longer the least like Setheris's voice.

Cala cleared his throat, presenting Maia with some lumps of sugar.

So taken aback was Maia by this - _we cannot be your friend_ \- that for a long while, he only stared, until Beshelar's sharp and disapproving look broke him out of it, reminding him where he was.

"We thank you," he said, as much in honest gratitude as in response to Beshelar's judgment.

"Oh, I only pulled them out of his pocket," Cala said, nodding towards Beshelar. "He must have been carrying them around for days now, but fortunately, sugar doesn't spoil or go bad."

Beshelar's scowl was of such ferocity that any thought Maia had of thanking him next were chased out of his head rightaway - as had been Beshelar's intention, he supposed somewhat wryly.

"For your next visit, you might bring some carrot chunks, Serenity," Cala said. "Too much sweetness does a horse no good."

"We thank you for your suggestion," Maia said, extending his hand as he had been shown on the Horsemarket. The sensation of Velvet's lips on his palm felt strange, but it was most satisfying to feel the sugar be taken from him, and to hear the crunch of it in Velvet's mouth as Maia's gift was swiftly devoured.

Velvet looked to him for more, but Maia showed his empty hands, which appeared to be deemed proof of his sugarlessness, even if Velvet's snort sounded a bit disappointed to Maia's ears.

"If you're sincere in your desire not to offend the Great Avar," Beshelar said, his tone making it quite clear how he judged such a desire, "you might consider taking riding lessons, Serenity."

"I could not," Maia said, half-lost in Velvet's eyes. Any disappointment over the lack of more sugar lumps seemed to have been forgotten already. _If only people were so easy to forgive and forget and to regard the world with kindness -_ but of course, people were not horses.

"Beshelar's right," Cala said. "A horse like this isn't meant to merely be kept, Serenity."

"We do not know where we would find the time." Maia felt like a child, whining to be permitted a sweet, and yet, he had spoken nothing but truth. Already his days were crammed full, for all of Csevet's best efforts to keep his workload manageable, to delegate where possible and to deflect when necessary.

One thing to steal half an hour to assure the Great Avar Maia valued his gift. Quite another to - _to do something that would please thee and give thee joy and thou hast been counseled to do by those tasked to guard thy life?_ Maia shook his head, ashamed of the thought.

"That's Csevet's job, surely?" Cala asked. "If he tells you it cannot be done, well, then it cannot. But if you wish it, there can be no harm in asking, Serenity."

Maia still felt horribly selfish, and yet he knew that Cala was right. If it could not be done, Csevet would tell him so. And if it could - _thou wouldst not need feel guilty, then_.

"You are right - and very wise. We shall ask," he said.

Beshelar's expression suggested he found nothing wise about Cala's suggestion whatsoever, but he refrained from saying so out loud, permitting Maia to pretend he had not seen.

Velvet's eyes seemed to assure him he had made the right decision.


End file.
